Is it just me, or do you also tend to judge a book by its cover?
Of course Im not talking about real books, but about people, and their covers can be anything from what they wear to what they say or do.
Something happened to me many years ago when I was still at primary school, which I have never forgotten. Although I dont always seem to remember the lesson I learnt that day. The story is quite embarrassing, but Ill tell it anyway.
I enjoyed woodwork classes in primary school and one day my parents bought me a brand new wood-chisel. The plastic handle was bright red and the steel shaft was extra shiny with a beautiful sharp cutting edge. I felt so proud that day when I took it out in the workshop for the first time and showed it to all the other children. No more using those old, brown wooden-handled, blunt and rusty bladed chisels of the school.Every week I eagerly looked forward to woodwork classes. I noticed that one boy in particular really liked my super chisel. I can still see his face and remember his name – Clayton. He was quite friendly, but I would have to keep an eye on him.
Then one day the worst of things happened. It had been a wonderful day of woodwork class my chisel and me. But when I got home I discovered to my utter horror that my chisel wasnt in my bag. I had put it in there after class and someone must have stolen it. Of course I had my immediate list of suspects. There was that one quiet boy who never spoke to anyone it was probably him. Then there was wait a minute! There was Clayton, who had been far too interested in my chisel. He must have stolen it. The next day I eagerly asked some of the children in class if they had seen my wood-chisel. No one had. I cautiously interrogated my chief suspect (Clayton), but he simply said no and changed the subject. I was devastated.
Flaunting it
Try to imagine how I must have felt the next woodwork class, when still mourning the loss of my shiny, super sharp, red-handled chisel, Clayton proudly pulled out a red-handled steel shaft chisel to show everyone. I quickly asked him where he had got this wood-chisel. To which he replied that he had found it in amongst his fathers tools in their garage. I could not believe his audacity. Not only did he steal my chisel but he had the gall to flaunt it all around in woodwork class. Oh sure, he had disguised it a bit by cutting marks into the plastic handle and splashing some white paint all over it, but it was mine.
Judging a book by its cover is one thing, but I had all the evidence to go along with the cover. I was determined to get my chisel back and the opportunity presented itself when, during the last lesson of the day, I sat behind Clayton in class. I carefully opened his school bag and took back what was rightfully mine. Justice had been done and I was feeling on top of the world that day when I walked home from school. Of course I would have to clean up my chisel and I was a little sour about the damaged handle.
At home I emptied out my entire school bag onto my bed because I had hidden the chisel deep down at the bottom. All my things came tumbling out. Books, pens, lunch box – and then an icy, cold sweat broke out all over my body as two wood-chisels came tumbling out. One nice and shiny, the other blotted with white paint.
Why are we so quick to judge others? Is it really because they are guilty or because we feel we are better than them? Or maybe it is because they are not doing things the way we feel they should be done? Often we give it a more appropriate name like constructive criticism, but a rose by any other name is still a rose.
Jesus did not judge even though he had the right too. He simply said, God forgive them. Not judging others (even if they are doing something wrong) does not mean we are condoning wrong doing or sin. God loves the sinner but not the sin. There is a big difference. Stop and think about it for a minute why are we so willing to excuse those things in ourselves, which we are so quick to accuse in others?
We take a long time to learn
The story of when the Jewish leaders brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus is so typical of what we are talking about (John 8:3-11). Yes, they were trying to trick Jesus, but they definitely judged this woman nonetheless. I mean, she was a nobody and they were important leaders in the community. On top of that, look how she dressed and her lack of education. Jesus words are so telling are they not? He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone (John 8:7). When Jesus stoops to write in the sand with his finger the Bible does not record what he wrote. However, I like what some commentators say, that maybe he was writing down some of the sins of the womans accusers. Is it not also telling that the first to leave were the eldest?
Maybe it takes us a long time before we learn some of these lessons about not being judgemental towards other people.
When Jesus looks up at the woman standing there alone and says to her, I do not condemn you I can only imagine how she must have felt. Those must have been the kindest, most loving words she had ever heard in her life. Make no mistake, Jesus does also tell her to go and sin no more.
The love and nature of Jesus and God are summed up so beautifully in John 3:17, where it is written that God did not send Jesus to earth to condemn us, but to save us. The Good News Bible renders it as follows: For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its Saviour. Have sweeter words of pure honey ever been spoken, especially when we begin to fully grasp that we are just as guilty as the next person?
My arrogance and judgemental attitude instantly evaporated that day as I stood looking down at two, red handled wood-chisels laying on my bed. Suddenly, I came up with all the excuses in the world as to why I should not be too harshly judged. Jesus, please dont let them throw stones. Please look down once more from the cross with love and understanding in your eyes and ask God to forgive me too.
It was very hard that day, as a ten-year old, to walk up to Clayton at school and give him back his wood-chisel, while eating humble-pie. Clayton was a bigger man than me and we actually became good friends. Thankfully he did not judge the book by its cover.